Embossing machine



1966 E. A. GODFREY 3,269,304

EMBOSSING MACHINE Filed July 6, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. fl/zmBETHA. 600F/PEX AIITOR/YEX Aug. 30, 1966 E. A. GODFREY EMBOSSING MACHINE2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 6, 1965 I NVENTOR. 154/2? arm A. Gap/WE:

M R mww Q LJQBMA 93W ATTQRNE'Z United States Patent Substitutedforabandoned application Ser. No. 202,768, June 15, 1962. ThisapplicationJuly 6, 1965', Ser. No.

This is a substitute application of original application Serial No.202,768, filedlune 15, 1962.

This invention pertains to embossing machines and is particularlydirected to machines. for embossing designs in leathen plastics and thelike materials.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a rugged andprecision machine for continuously embossing strip material fed into themachine.

Another object of this invention is to provide an embossing machinewhichis readily and accurately adjustable to accommodate the embossingoperation to the nature and thickness of the material being worked upon.

A further object of this invention is to provide an embossing machine inwhich various embossing dies may be readily installed and removed fromthe tool holders of the machine.

Further features and, advantages of this invention. will appear from adetailed description of the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embossing machine incorporating the featuresof this invention;

FIG. 2 is a left hand side elevationof the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of'the machine shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 44 of FIGS. 1 and 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 55 of FIGS. 2 and 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view showing the relationship of theworkpiece, embossing die and hookup roller.

As an example of one embodiment of this invention, there is shown anembossing machine having a frame 10 comprising a base plate 11 on top ofwhich are fixed the upstanding laterally spaced side plates 12 and 13which are secured together by the tie bar 14 suitably fixed to the topsurfaces 15 of the side plates 12 and 13.

A backup roller shaft 16 is journaled in a suitable bearing 17 carriedin the bearing block 18 suitably fixed to the side plates 12 and 13. Thefront end of the backup roller shaft 16 is journaled in a suitablebearing 19 carried in a demountable bearing block 20 adapted to besecured to the side plates 12 and 13 by suitable screws 21. By removingthe bearing block 20 the backup roller 22 may be placed in drivenposition on the shaft 16 or removed therefrom as required.

The rear end of the backup shaft 16 is journaled in a suitable bearing23 carried in a bearing support block 24 fixed to the base plate 11.Intermediate the bearings 18 and 23 and adjacent the bearing 23 is agear 25 fixed to the shaft 16. On the opposite side of the bearing 23 isslidably mounted, on the splined portion 26 of the rear end of the shaft16, a shiftable clutch member 27 which is arranged to engage a matingclutch member 28 fixed to the output shaft 29 of the gear reduction unit30 driven by a suitable electric motor 31.

The gear 25 on shaft 16 drives a mating gear 32 of the same size as thegear 25 which is fixed on the stub shaft 33 journaled in and axiallyslidable in the bearing 34 carried in the support bracket 35 fixed tothe base plate 11. A propeller shaft 36 is connected by a universaljoin-t 37 to the stub shaft 33 and by'the universal joint 1 Claim.

3,269,304 Patented August 30, 1966 38 to the impression die arbor shaft39. The arbor shaft 39, is journaled intermediate its endsin a suitablebearing 40 carried in the rear plate 41 of the arbor shaft carriage42comprising the guide block 43 fixedto the rear plate 41 and thedemountable front plate44 secured to the block 43 by suitable screws.45.A front support bearing 46 is carried in thevdemounta-ble front plate 44to journal and support the front endof the arbor shaft 39. Suit ablelock washers 47 fixed to the. arborshaft 39 and abutting the sides ofthe rear plate 41 confine the arbor shaft against axial movement in thebearings 40 and 46. Suitable lock washers 48 and 49 fixed on the backuproller shaft 16 confine this shaft against axial movement in thebearings 17, 19 and 23. The embossing die 50; may be mountedin driven.relationship on the arbor shaft 39 by removing the demountable frontplate 44.

The arbor shaft carriage 42 is supported in vertical guideways 51 on theside plates 12 and 13 and its guide block 42.has integral upstandingbosses 52 which carry a pin 53 received in a slot 54 formed in the frontend of alever arm 55 which is pivotally mounted intermediate i-ts endson a pin 56 carried in the inverted U-shaped adjusting member 57 havinga ball joint connection 58 with thelower end of an adjusting screw 59.The adjusting screw 59 is threaded in the tie bar 14 for verticaladjustment therein as the screw 59 is appropriately rotated by the crankhandle 60, the screw being adapted to be clamped in desired adjustedposition by the wingedjam nut 61.

The rear end of the lever arm 55 is pivotally connected by a pin 62 tothe outer end of the piston rod 63 of the fluid pressure cylinder 64which cylinder is pivotally connected by a pin 65 to a plate 66 fixed tothe bearing support block 24 and the bracket 67 fixed to the base plate11.

The power clutch 2728 is controlled to engage and disengage the'shiftable clutch member 27 from the control lever 68 at the controlpanel 69 mounted on the side plates 12 and 13 at the front of themachine, the lever 68 being connected by suitable linkage 70 to actuatethe shifter lever 71 to shift the clutch member 27. Pressure control forthe cylinder 64 is affected by the control lever 72 on the control panel69. In certain instances it may be desirable to heat the embossing die50. Tov this end there is provided a heating element 73 located within abore 74 formed within the arbor shaft 39 so as to con vey heat to theembossing die. Power is supplied to the heating element 73 from leads 75connected to suitable slip rings 76 and the brushes 77 carried on theinsulative bracket 78 fixed to the rear plate 41. A suitable temperaturecontrol knob 79 is provided on the panel 69.

In operation: The workpiece 80 is placed on the work feeding table 81between suitable guideways 82 and pushed between the backup roller 22and die roller 50. Motor 31 is energized constantly. Lever 68 isoperated to engage clutch 27 to apply power to rotate the rollers 22-50.As the workpiece 80 is fed through the rollers 22-50 it emerges onto thereceiving table 83 until it engages a stop 84 at which point the clutch27 is disengaged by the clutch control lever 68. Lever 72 is thenoperated to energize cylinder 64 to pull the rear end of the lever 55downwardly to raise the embossing roller 50 from operative contact withthe workpiece 80 after the desired embossing 85. The workpiece may thenbe removed from between the rollers 22-50.

The cylinder 64 is then energized to return the rear end of the lever 55upwardly until the piston 86 engages the upper surface 87 of thecylinder 64 to positively stop the upward travel of the rear end of thelever 55. In order to adjust for the proper clearance between therollers 2250 for operating upon various thicknesses and character ofworkpieces 80, the crank handle 60 is manipulated to raise and lower thepivot pin 56 for the lever 55 as required and thus select the propervertical position for the embossing die roller relative to the backuproller 22. During these adjustments by the crank handle 60 it will benoted that stub shaft 33 and gear 32 move axially relative to thebracket 35 and gear 25 so as to at all times provide proper drive forthe embossing die for any vertical adjusted position of the arborsupport carriage.

While the apparatus herein disclosed and described constitutes apreferred form of the invention, it is also to be understood that theapparatus is capable of mechanical alteration without departing from thespirit of the invention and that such mechanical arrangement andcommercial adaptation as fall within the scope of the appendent claimare intended to be included herein.

Having thus fully set forth and described this invention, what isclaimed and desired to be obtained by United States Letters Patent is:

An embossing machine comprising in combination:

(A) a frame,

(B) a backup roller journaled against axial and radial movement on saidframe,

(C) a carriage mounted and guided for vertical sliding movement on saidframe,

(D) a cylindrical embossing die journaled against axial and radialmovement on said carriage located radially above and axially alignedwith said backup roller,

(E) drive means mounted on said frame for simultaneously rotating saidbackup roller and said embossing die in opposite directions for anyrelative radial position of said members,

(F) a lever arm,

(G) a pivot pin pivotally supporting said lever arm at a pointintermediate the ends thereof,

(H) manually actuable means on said frame for posi- .tively supportingand adjustably varying the vertical position of said pivot pin duringthe operation of the machine radially relative to said backup roller,

(I) a pivotal sliding connection between the front end of said lever armand said carriage,

(J) an expandable and contractable power actuated device interconnectedbetween said frame and the rear end of said lever arm including,

(K) an actuating element connected to swing the rear end of said leverarm relative to said frame so as to move said embossing die during theoperation of the machine to and from a predetermined fixed positiveradial operative position relative to said backup roller,

(L) and a positive stop element engaged by said actuating element topositively limit movement of said carriage and embossing die to saidpredetermined fixed operative position relative to said backup rollerduring the operation of said machine.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,857,166 5/1932Speicher 101-5 1,925,236 9/1933 Doyle et al. 1014 3,128,692 4/1964Talarico 101 -27 X 3,189,011 6/1965 Briggs 74522 X FOREIGN PATENTS216,424 12/ 1941 Switzerland.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

DAVID KLEIN, Examiner.

W. F. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner.

